Twelve months have all but come and gone; and thanks to the usual assortment of big budget studio blockbusters, sequels and art house darlings, it's safe to say that moviegoers have been fairly well entertained during the year in film that was 2024. Whether you were in the mood for action-packed superhero epics, lavish Broadway musical adaptations or family-friendly animated adventures, there was truly something for everyone. Still, when it comes to summing up 2024's theatrical releases and whittling them down to the year's most impressive, there are ten movies that stand out as the best of the bunch. Whether it's The Empire Strikes Back, Spider-Man 2 or The Dark Knight, movie trilogies whose highly anticipated second chapters far surpassed the box office success and critical acclaim of the first are few and far between. Still, when the stars align, the result can be the stuff of filmmaking legend. Making good on the promise set forth by the cliffhanger ending to Dune and delivering a galaxy's worth of character development, backstory and blockbuster action, Dune: Part Two doesn't disappoint when it comes to bringing this next chapter of Frank Herbert's seminal tome to the big screen. And while there are bound to be some who will balk at the film's nearly-three-hour duration, it's hard to imagine the result being as effective with a less ambitious narrative. An absolute masterclass in storytelling and world-building, Dune: Part Two is a sci-fi masterpiece on a biblical scale.  As the old saying goes, age is nothing but a state of mind. However, when it comes to how things work outside of the mind — in the real world — ageism is something that we all unavoidably have to contend with once we start getting up there in years. Enter The Substance, a scathing and satirical critique of societal beauty standards that also does double duty as one of the most disturbing and grotesque tales of body horror ever committed to film. What sets it apart from other similarly themed genre movies, though, are the fearless performances of its stars. Thanks to writer-director Coralie Fargeat, Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley each deliver what will most assuredly be looked back on as one of the best performances of their respective careers. And while the result definitely isn't for the squeamish, viewers will certainly never look at beauty products the same way again.  The bombastic second chapter to one of the most seminal movies of the last quarter-century, Gladiator II bucks the trend of sequels that simply leverage the built-in fan base of a beloved original for the sake of profit. What viewers might be reminded of the most while watching it, however, isn't director Ridley Scott and star Russell Crowe's 25-year-old collaboration, but rather the outcome of the recent U.S. Presidential election. Suffice to say, the comparison between an ancient Rome suffering under the heavy hand of tyranny and a modern-day America that will soon find itself back under the leadership of one of the most controversial Presidents in its history is an easy one to draw. Yet, while Gladiator II very much succeeds in its own right as a film full of award-worthy performances and blockbuster action, it's this real-life drama that makes it all the more compelling.  From a feature-length animated movie and Saturday morning cartoon series to a computer-generated spin-off, live-action films, comic books, video games, and more, the Transformers franchise has done it all. What has never been attempted till now, however, is an adventure delving into the evolution of the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron. An action-packed origin story full of heart, humor and everything fans of Hasbro's long-running franchise have come to love, Transformers One doesn't just surpass audience expectations — it shatters them completely. What's most impressive, however, is the way the movie portrays the arcs for its central characters. After all, it's not easy to create compelling new backstories for pop culture icons that fans have known for decades. Yet, that's exactly what Transformers One does — and in more ways than meets the eye.  The apocalyptic thriller is a genre that spans a wide variety of scenarios, from scientifically-based natural disaster epic to fantastically-themed blockbusters concerning zombie outbreaks and alien invasions. When it comes to the genre's most resonant and powerful entries, however, it's those movies that effectively highlight the underlying human drama that undoubtedly hit the hardest. Keeping in step with writer-director Alex Garland's previous work, Civil War is a suspenseful and compelling film steeped in a foreboding sense of existential dread. Whether it's at the macroscopic level of the destruction wreaked by a nationwide conflict or the more granular crumbling of interpersonal relationships, Civil War doesn't pull any punches. Yet, at the same time, there's also a poetic beauty to be found within the way it portrays the bloody and brutal nature of war.  When you combine sports with movies, the result is usually a feel-good underdog story like Rocky, Bend It Like Beckham or Rudy. On the rare occasion, though, you might end up with a film like Jerry Maguire or The Wrestler, which eschews the cinematic trend in favor of a narrative told from a different perspective. It's a refreshing change of pace that immediately sets apart such movies from the pack. And with the aptly titled Challengers, that's exactly what director Luca Guadagnino achieves. An electrifying take on the genre that not only gives audiences one of the most mesmerizing on-screen love triangles in recent memory, but also redefines the way they regard the sport itself, the result is a winning combination that will appeal to more than just tennis fans. And much like a real-life tennis game, they'll find it even more challenging to predict the final outcome.  Fish-out-of-water stories are one of the most commonly recurring narratives in cinema; and when it comes to animated movies, that goes doubly so. Whether it's an alien that crash lands on Earth in Lilo & Stitch or a toy astronaut who thinks he's a real-life space explorer in Toy Story, the genre is full of whimsical adventures involving characters who find themselves humorously out of their element. It's a tried-and-true formula that also affords the opportunity for some poignant messaging. And with The Wild Robot, director Chris Sanders is adding another film to that list. Featuring a star-studded voice cast, the result is a new animated family classic. A large part of what makes The Wild Robot so special, however, isn't its cast, but rather its themes. A story about the unbreakable bond between mother and child, this is a tale that speaks to viewers of all ages.  From talking toys to friendly fish, the list of Pixar classics is a long one. Yet, despite their incredible track record, the 38-year-old animation studio still continues to be one of the most prolific producers of high-quality family films out there. Whether it's coming-of-age comedy dramas or more high-concept adventures, there's little doubt that the team of animators and storytellers at Pixar are years from running out of crowd-pleasing tales to tell. And with their followup to Inside Out, they're proving once again that their sequels can still pack an emotional punch. What follows feels like a necessary continuation of the first movie, with a story that deals smartly with the topic of teen mental health. Full of complex emotional themes yet also bursting with the same charm, wit and humor as the original, Inside Out 2 is a sequel that has grown up with its target audience.  Over the course of three X-Men films and three standalone movies, Hugh Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine has seared itself into the collective consciousness of moviegoers everywhere. It's a feat that has made it all the more difficult to separate the 56-year-old actor from his most well-known role. And in Deadpool & Wolverine, Jackman doesn't pull any punches when it comes to delivering on the copious levels of fan service viewers have come to expect. From Wolverine's comic-accurate costume to the crowd-pleasing cameos, there's no shortage of moments sure to leave Marvel fans slack-jawed. And while the result does at times feel like it's exerting more than maximum effort to make up for the Marvel Cinematic Universe's missed opportunities, it's a fitting farewell to the Fox era of Marvel's mutants and a fun peek at what the MCU has in store for the future.  When it comes to post-apocalyptic cinema, George Miller practically invented the genre. With Mad Max, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and Mad Max: Beyond Thunder-dome, the legendary director unleashed his unique vision of a society gone to hell after nuclear war makes fuel the planet's most valuable commodity. And then, three decades later, Miller followed up his cult-classic trilogy with Mad Max: Fury Road, a full-throttle sequel that introduced moviegoers to one of the most unforgettable action heroines in recent memory. Suffice to say, you don't have to have seen all four prior Mad Max movies to partake in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. However, those who enjoyed Fury Road will most certainly get the most mileage from this high-octane origin story. The most exhilarating film of the year, the result is an engine-revving masterpiece that's miles away from mediocre. |
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